Michael A Cronogue

I first began my writing “career” over thirty years ago in Ireland, submitting reports to the local county newspaper about the exploits of our junior Gaelic football club. Even when we played badly, which was quite often, I was usually able to gloss over it and blame myopic officials or the ball landing in dung piles left by grazing cows. Later, l came to look on this as a form of early instruction for all those boring management reports I would have to write in later years.

Why a Writer? Well, looking back on my school days the only subjects that I took any interest in or showed any aptitude for were English and History. Maths, Science, Geography, modern languages, each was a puzzling mystery that still continues to elude me. Not surprisingly, evidence of the knowledge teachers bravely - but vainly - spent time and effort trying to impart, became all too clear when the annual report cards were sent home.

Over the years, I have written several articles for employer in-house publications - including the writing and editing of an on-line newsletter - contributions to parish magazines, letters to the local press, as well as numerous presentations and other reports written during my managerial career. My approach to writing has always been based on providing interesting facts with an appropriate amount of humour. Unfortunately, this was not always appreciated at the Institution formerly known as the Post Office, or Royal Mail, as it is now called, who were my employers until 2004. Their approach seemed to be perpetually based on corporate double speak, dressed up as part of a continual phenomenon, known as business process re-engineering.

Since starting to write creatively, I have had an essay published by Green Arrow Publishing entitled; Some British Traditions are Worth Preserving, which describes a day trip to the seaside resort of Southport, and how such places still retain their distinct characteristics, despite the plethora of foreign package tours now on offer to all parts of the globe. I have also submitted material to The Oldie magazine and comments to the on-line editions of both The Guardian and The Independent newspapers.

To help keep those creative juices flowing, as a local volunteer for the Motor Neurone Disease Association, my literary skills have been put to good use by editing our quarterly newsletter as well as writing a fortnightly blog for the staff intranet site, Sharepoint. In addition, I have written articles for the association’s national newsletter, The News, and was featured in the autumn 2010 edition of their quarterly colour publication, Thumbprint.

Having seen many previous efforts going into print, ever since I began submitting articles for a local paper some thirty years ago, I have never lost the ambition of wanting to write for a living. Having gained what I regard as valuable life experience, through a variety of personal and professional interests, I aim to use this to produce high quality, written material for my own, as well as other people’s pleasure.